A Canadian company says it has become the first Western firm to build fixed-wing aircraft for the military in Vietnam, which is seeking to upgrade its maritime defenses.

Viking Air of Victoria, British Columbia, said it has finalized with the Vietnamese navy a purchase agreement for six amphibious DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft, in a statement obtained by AFP on Wednesday.

It said the deal would give the navy its first fleet of fixed-wing aircraft, some of which are designed specifically for marine patrol.

Each aircraft is priced at more than five million Canadian dollars (around US$5 million) but a Viking spokeswoman told AFP the total value of the deal, which includes flight training and other components, was yet to be determined.